Historic Building Preservation Grants Approved For U.P. Communities

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has awarded $750,000 in grants to support the preservation of and reinvestment in historic buildings in communities along the Great Lakes, the Michigan Strategic Fund announced today. The grants represent awards from SHPO’s Resilient Lakeshore Heritage Grant Program, funded through the federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)—Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, administered by the National Park Service.

“We are pleased to have this unique opportunity to directly support investment in the historic places that are so critical to the identity and vitality of our lakeshore communities,” said Martha MacFarlane-Faes, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. “These awards will have an immediate impact on the ability of the awardees to continue to be good stewards of these buildings, and we hope that the finished work will also serve as an example of the benefits of historic preservation in our communities, particularly along traditional commercial and civic corridors.”

Currently a one-time funding opportunity, SHPO’s Lakeshore Heritage Grant Program was established to provide funding to private property owners, nonprofits, and municipalities in communities along the Great Lakes that participate in SHPO’s Certified Local Government (CLG) program, MEDC’s Michigan Main Street program, or MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities program, all of which recognize the importance of reinvestment in a community’s heritage assets as part of ongoing economic development and community planning activities.

Grant awards range from $50,000 to $100,000 and are being provided in nine communities along both peninsulas, representing communities such as Calumet, Alpena, and South Haven. Funds will support critical building work such as foundation stabilization, roof replacement, and masonry repair, as well as activation of vacant storefronts and interior spaces. Funds will also support the listing of several of the properties in the National Register of Historic Places, which will not only recognize the historical significance of the properties but also enable property owners to potentially take advantage of additional preservation incentives in the future, such as the state or federal historic preservation tax credit or grants available through SHPO or other entities.

In Calumet, the Houghton County Land Bank Authority, in partnership with the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance, is being awarded $100,000 to support stabilization of the historic sandstone building at 425 5^th Street, the subject of a multi-year effort by the Bring Back Calumet initiative and various project partners to save the building from collapse and return it to productive use. The building is part of the Calumet Historic District, which is listed in the National Register and designated a National Historic Landmark.

“This project funding is crucial to our ongoing efforts to preserve the fabric of downtown Calumet and eventually bring this building back to life,” said Jeff Ratcliffe, Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance executive director. “The support for our Bring Back Calumet initiative from Michigan SHPO is crucial to achieving this goal.”

Award offers are being made to the following applicants: